Remembering our lions

Tuesday

Apr 2, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Harold Naughton Jr.

During the First World War, a German soldier, admiring the bravery of his British counterparts while condemning the idiocy of English commanders, was heard to remark, “Never before have such lions been led by such lambs.”

Since 9-11, America has been defended by a new generation of lions. But on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war, we need to ask ourselves: How will we memorialize our lions?

Hundreds of thousands of America’s finest sons and daughters, tens of thousands from Massachusetts, went forward to perform their sworn duty in noble and outstanding fashion. All were volunteers, rightfully proud of their service. Of those who fought, 4,488 will never return, but to the hearts of their loved ones. Another 32,221 suffered life-altering wounds.

How are these lions of the Iraq War being treated upon their return?

In January 2013, 205,000 post-9-11 veterans were unemployed nationally.

One thing prior conflicts have taught us is that society is best served when our veterans have the opportunity to live full, whole lives — lives where they can contribute the best of their military training to careers of service. The expertise gained by our veterans in both substantive and life skills is often quickly transferable to civilian life. The values of self sacrifice, integrity, honor and personal courage can mean a great deal in a disparate society that often seems to be searching for meaning.

But veterans who seek to continue to serve are met with comments like those made by the Boston police commissioner who, in 2009, stated in reference to veteran hiring, “We’re not trying to take a hill, we’re trying to communicate with people.”

This statement betrays a stunning lack of knowledge of what it means to be a member of today’s military by an otherwise informed and committed public servant. Nonetheless, it is indicative of the attitudes of many in our society. Unlike previous conflicts, less than one half of one percent of Americans has any direct connection to those who have served since 9-11. To those who have served, any sense of shared sacrifice or commonality of purpose is difficult to find.

If the commissioner had truly been aware of the type of service performed in Iraq, or experienced a week in Kandahar, Afghanistan, he would know that true “community policing” is being done by American troops on a daily basis.

This duty includes daily interaction with local civilians, training of security forces in forensics, evidence collection and chain of custody. Troops today are more likely to participate in “key leader engagements” with tribal elders than take a machine gun nest — and their experience directly translates to civilian life.

It is time for our community as a whole to replicate the exceptional job done by the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services and veterans service officers in their diligent work to find employment for our veterans. From the machine shop to the boardroom, the experience of our veterans can be utilized to enhance our culture, economy and quality of life. We need to embrace the military experience as a society and make efforts to utilize what is truly an untapped resource not just in our public safety departments, but also in our schools, our industries and our communities.

In 2011, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen warned of the danger of the civilian-military disconnect in our country.

There is no place in our nation where this fundamental approach to the civilian-military relationship should be more apparent than here in Massachusetts. From the first militia on the Salem Green, to the Minutemen at Lexington, to the 54th Massachusetts, to those who currently serve, no state can claim a brighter history of the citizen soldier than this commonwealth.

Our society will never come to grips with the true cost of war until we come to know better our warriors as the people they are and the experiences they’ve endured. We must be able to honor our lions, and help them transition back to civilian life and employment. When that occurs, our citizenry will have a better understanding of the sacrifice of those who have returned and will have created a lasting tribute to those who have not.

Harold Naughton Jr. is a major in the United States Army Reserve. A veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, he returned from his latest tour with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in May 2012. He serves as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Clinton and is House chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.